Anna Grace Smith

She's here! She's here! After a long and hard day of labor, Anna Grace made her debut at 1:45am on October 3rd. She's a petite 8lbs11oz, 19.75 inches long, and has a head full of black hair. She's a spitting image of Caroline which means she looks just like her Daddy! 

Here are some of our favorite pictures from today: 

I'll write more later! Just wanted to get some pictures out there for our family members outside of Houston. 

So, it's been a while...

Who knew 2.5 kids could keep me so busy?! I admire people who can keep up with their blogs, baby books, etc., because it takes some serious dedication. Let's be honest - if given the choice of writing or sleeping, I'm going to choose sleep. Every. Single. Time. I spend most of my days trying to keep up with the girls and most of my nights *trying* to sleep. Sweet little Anna Grace likes to perform Cirque Du Soleil nightly from 11pm - 1am. It makes sleep difficult and good, deep sleep even more challenging. I guess she's preparing me for what's about to come. Isn't that nice of her?

Speaking of Anna, she'll be here before we know it! I'm 32 weeks so the countdown is on. She was breech at my 20 week appointment and as of Thursday, she's transverse (sideways). This isn't optimal because by now she should be head down and ready to go. My OB said Anna has 4 weeks to turn until we start talking about a C-section. Yikes! I really don't want surgery, but I'll go with what Dr. B thinks is best. The surgery itself doesn't scare me...it's the recovery. I can't imagine trying to recover from that with my 2 girls. Especially Ellie. Oh, goodness, Ellie. BUT, the good thing about a C-section is that it is scheduled and it cuts my remaining 8 weeks down to 5 or 6. Woohoo! My heartburn is raging and I can't bend down, so I'm just about ready for Anna to make her arrival. We still have to buy a few things (car seat, sheets, boppy, etc.) but other than that, we're almost ready to go. Lucas got his nesting done last weekend (putting crown molding in the nursery and Ellie's new room) so my turn is next. I hope my closets are prepared to be cleaned out and organized. I hope Luc is ready to help with the bottom shelves, because again...can't bend down.

Summer picture recap time!

 

Ellie is crafty. And by crafty I mean very clever and is able to use her quick thinking skills to do things most 15 year olds can't. This is a picture of her unscrewing the cap to her eczema medicine and applying it to her itchy spots. She can also remove the lids from child-proof pill bottles, unlock the cabinets, climb the outside of the stairs, open doors, and choose her own clothes. Did I mention I'm constantly tired? She keeps me on my toes but in stitches. She's a hoot and such a sweetheart when she needs to be. She strategically plans her kisses for when she has just emptied another cabinet or undone another roll of toilet paper. Or opened the fridge and consumed half a watermelon while I folded laundry.

 

She's FINALLY walking! It only took 15 months! Her little feet turn out and her ankles roll in so it has made walking very difficult for her. I bought her some boots from Stride Rite and those have helped immensely. I'm ready for the day she's solo walking (as opposed to a mixture of walking and crawling) because her knees need to heal. Eczema is the worst!

 

Caroline started dance at a new studio and she loves it! I love it too because the waiting room is huge and it gives Ellie plenty of room to roam. Caroline's good friend is in her class so that means I get to visit with the fabulous Sarah every week! Woohoo! Sweet C really enjoys dance, even though she is as graceful as a newborn giraffe. I'm hoping that'll flourish as quickly as her insane vocabulary has. I constantly have to remind myself that she's only 3. And then I'm instantly thankful that she's only 3 because I'm not ready for her to grow up. She starts pre-school in 2 weeks...I don't know who is more excited! She loves her school and I love that she gets to play with friends 3 times a week. Ellie is first on the waiting list for mother's day out (same place C went last year and will go again this year), so please pray she gets in! She is a social butterfly who loves to explore. MDO is perfect for her and it'll give me some alone time with Anna. Fingers crossed!

 

Ellie sat still and watched some birds play in the backyard this week. I had to document that rare, quiet moment. She LOVES playing outside but this Texas heat has been brutal. Our swing time has been cut in half. Sorry, girls! We have a great splash pad near us but it takes 100% of my energy to keep up with Ellie while we're there. She runs amuck and tries to climb everything! I'm so thankful that she's fearless but it is exhausting!

 

 

Caroline just finished a summer session of Teddy Tennis. She did great! We spent Thursday mornings on the local tennis courts with Caroline's buddy, Maddie, and Ellie's boyfriend, Cole. Ellie and Cole ate snacks and chased balls while the big girls hit volleys and backhands. It was a blast for everyone! 

See those giant pixie sticks? Caroline ate one, then a donut on the last day of class. I had a babysitter come that morning while I got some errands done. I wasn't surprised in the least when she texted me saying Caroline had hit a serious sugar crash and was too tired to put on pants. Ah, sugar. Such a glorious thing.

 

32 weeks! My belly is very wide thanks to Anna's current position. I'm very happy that I'm pregnant in the summer because there's no way I could bend down to pull on boots or tie my shoes.

 

Caroline and Luc spent some time one night constructing a princess castle. Ellie woke up early and destroyed it. As you can see, Caroline was crushed.

 

Ellie was not crushed. She was very proud of herself.

 

This girl LOVES to play dress up. She was determined to put on the high heels over her boots. She was successful in getting them on, but didn't have the same luck when trying to walk in them.

 

Dress up was orange themed that day!

I surprised Caroline one night and took her to get ice cream after her bath. She was so excited! I love that there is a drive -thru Culver's just around the corner from us. I don't love that it has started to give me heartburn. Boooo!

 

Just another day at the races. I really need to get Ellie a helmet.

 

This lovely Elsa was the reason we drove home from Destin in 1 day. Twelve hours. About 12 pit stops. We had already told Caroline she was going to an Elsa birthday party on Sunday afternoon, so we made the drive home on Saturday. We survived....that's a good summary of the drive.

 

Sweet Caroline after arriving at the beach. She LOVED the beach!

 

Silly cousins going on a crab hunt. Thanks to Becky for the glow necklaces! I forget how dark the beach is at night, especially if the moon isn't full. Those necklaces made spotting the kiddos so much easier. They all had a blast that night making memories.

 

Caroline was NOT a fan of the seaweed. She took a break from it in her cute chair. Her little pose was making everyone laugh. Such a little lady. The seaweed got better and she was back in the water in no time. Ellie, on the other hand, was trying to eat it and wear it.

 

Ellie and her daddy in Destin. She had a great time waking everyone up early and partying with her cousins on the beach. We stayed in a fabulous 5 bedroom condo in Destin, right on the beach. It was perfect for the whole family. I can't wait to go back! Maybe they'll build an airport by next year? Please?

Lucas and I went on a "babymoon" to the Woodlands Resort this summer. It was a quick and fun getaway without the kids. Thanks to Mom and Dad for watching the girls! We spent the weekend at the pool, in nice restaurants, and at Nordstrom. We took full advantage of the Anniversary Sale and bought some clothes for the fall. We got these cute boots for Caroline and she's been asking to wear them daily since she opened them. Fall is just too far away! She's still in her "dresses only" stage, so I bought her some cute dresses to match the boots.

 

 

 

Matt and James came to Houston for a week and Mom and I took them to the zoo. It was hot. So hot. Sooooo hot. And I made the mistake of letting Caroline wear new shoes. I ended up giving her a piggy back ride for the last hour while Ellie slept in the stroller. And the contractions haven't stopped since. BUT, the train ride was really fun!

The best thing about  summer coming to an end is this girl! C's best friend is moving back to Houston and we couldn't be happier! I see a lot of trips to the Woodlands in our future.

I hope to find some more time to write again before Anna gets here. 8 weeks and counting. Can't wait for our family to be a party of 5!

Gotta remember this...

Caroline and I made a Key Lime pie on Friday afternoon and I gave her a taste of it today. Her description after the first bite? "Mmmm. Tastes like summer." Ugh. Love that girl. Such a sweetie! 

Bonus pictures!

Sunday stroll around the 'hood

Ellie is not excited that her Grammy is leaving for 3 weeks!

Ellie is in full destruction mode these days, which explains why the vacuum is always out.

The "tastes like summer" pie!

Last day of school! It was a rainy one.

Their new favorite playtime activity. Ellie needs a helmet. STAT!

I'm 21 weeks! 

She was not too happy with me because I wouldn't let her climb on the coffee table. Mind you, she's fallen off of it 3 times. On her head. I don't know how she hasn't broken her neck yet...thank you, guardian angels!

Ellie turns one!

Ellie Kate turned one last week and she has taken that milestone as an opportunity to explore her mischievous side. Constantly. When she's awake, I do not rest. There's no sitting. No relaxing. It takes everything in me (and Caroline!) to keep her from harming herself. I'm thinking about investing in a baby helmet for her, or seeing what I can do about recruiting a few more guardian angels to watch over her. 

She checked out perfectly at her one year appointment, measuring the same height (30.5 in) as Caroline did at the same age, but weighing a tiny 5 pounds less! It's no wonder C's clothes are falling off of her. Her allergies are getting better and her skin is looking much clearer. We switched from the $300 lotion to a much cheaper $200 one (haha), and started using CeraVe instead of Aquaphor. I'm hoping the harsh Texas summer isn't going to undo the work I've invested in her skin. I'm already dreading chlorine mixed with sunshine. I can only imagine what she'll look like come August. 

At a year old, Ellie is crawling as quick as a mouse. She loves to pull up on anything she can, including my legs or the legs of the chair I'm sitting in while eating, and then pulling herself on top of that object. She really enjoys throwing herself backwards off of the highest object she can climb...hence the need for a helmet! Her favorite perch is the coffee table and has recently discovered that she can climb the ladder and slide on the swing set. She loves to watch Caroline and copy everything she does. I think it'll be a while before she starts walking. Her legs are so tiny, I'm not sure how they are going to hold the rest of her body up!

Here are some pictures of what we've been up to lately:

Lucas loves to laugh when I tell him that I really, really enjoying going to lunch by myself. This is why. My lunch usually ends with little fingers in my food and a tiny hiney on my lap. Side note - shopping for a maternity swim suit is as fun as going to the DPS.

I asked Caroline to find some shoes and get ready to go to HEB. These are the shoes she chose.

Sassy faces first thing in the morning! This is usually an indicator of how my day is going to progress.

I can't turn my back for a second. She loves to climb.

She calculated the easiest way to get on the couch. Trampoline to air mattress to couch.

Ellie is not a fan of standing. Once she's up, she can't figure out how to sit back down. I showed Caroline how to gently help Ellie sit, but that hasn't ended well at all.

Little honey.

Silly honey.

She wasn't too sure about taking her 12 month pictures!

Happy Birthday, Ellie Kate! She love to say "cheese" when the camera is on!

The lady who made Ellie's cake was so sweet and made a cupcake that was corn free. Ellie really, really liked it.

Climbing wears her out.

Ellie doesn't know what to think about her Big Dog (my brother, Steve).

Anyone want to have a tea party?

Meanwhile, in the world of 3 year olds, Caroline is still as silly as ever. She woke up from a nap looking amazing, so I sang "Miss America" as she came down the stairs. She sat down and refused to move until I stopped signing.